


Baron Bakery

by cestlavieminako



Category: Kamen Rider Gaim
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-21
Updated: 2014-03-09
Packaged: 2018-01-13 06:06:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1215475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cestlavieminako/pseuds/cestlavieminako
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kumon Kaito's life was much easier before a certain tall, dark, and handsome stranger wandered into his bakery.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Boss, that guy’s here again."

Kaito barely glanced up from piping the icing onto a cake as Peco came into the kitchen. “Didn’t I tell you to get rid of that bolo and get a proper necktie?”

Peco’s bottom lip protruded in a pout. “Aw, c’mon, boss. It doesn’t bother anyone.” Here, he grinned. “And a lot of the patrons think it’s cute and leave me bigger tips!”

Kaito looked up at him, frowning…but really, it wasn’t against the bakery’s dress code. He should know—he’d made it himself. “Anyway…what ‘guy’ were you referring to?” he grumbled.

"You know which one! That same guy who comes in every Friday, asks for the chef’s choice…the really hot guy!” Peco reminded him. “Maybe he’s sweet on you, boss.”

Kaito rolled his eyes, setting the piping bag aside, then picked up the cake, moving behind the counter to put it in the display case to join the other confections for sale that day. As he did so, he cast a casual glance across the room. Several tables were occupied, mostly by schoolgirls, some by couples chatting over slices of cake.

But over by the picture window sat the man Peco had been going on about.

Kaito had seen him before. Tall, thin, sharply dressed in a well-fitting suit sans necktie, dark hair that always looked like it had been blown about by the wind, cheekbones that could probably cut into a cheesecake just as well as a knife…

Kaito inhaled sharply—the cheesecake! He rushed back into the kitchen, removing the orange cheesecake from the oven, thankfully before it had begun to brown too much. He caught Peco smirking, and he grabbed the order sheet from the boy’s hand. “Get back to work,” he grumbled, ignoring Peco’s cheery reply as he headed back out, helping a customer who had just stepped in.

Now he was going to have to deal with more of Peco’s teasing.

Hopefully Zack would come in early to relieve him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kumon Kaito's life was much easier before a certain tall, dark, handsome stranger wandered into his bakery.

"Are you the head patisserie?"

Kaito glanced up at the source of the deep voice, finding his gaze locked on the man that Peco had made such a big deal about earlier. “Yes, I am,” he finally replied, wondering why his mouth suddenly felt so dry.

"Excellent." A business card was offered to him, and Kaito blinked in surprise before accepting it. Kureshima Takatora, it read. Kaito’s eyes widened involuntarily; that name was fairly well-known in Zawame. The Kureshima family all but owned the town, their company Yggdrasil sitting in the center of the town, doing everything from providing electricity to creating thousands of jobs in the town that had been nearly stagnant until their rise in power, as it were.

"This is the man who has been coming here almost every other day? Why?" Kaito asked himself. He suddenly had a sinking feeling…was the Kureshima family planning on buying out his bakery? "Over my dead body," Kaito thought to himself. "After the struggle I went through to learn the trade and open the bakery? I’m not selling, no matter the price."

"I have an offer for you," Takatora began, and Kaito felt his eyes go steely. He was about to open his mouth to instantly refuse, when the older man continued, "I would like to hire you."

"I beg your pardon?" Kaito asked. "I run this establishment. And I’m not seeking any other employment."

"I should explain. I work in an incredibly large company, as I’m sure you’ve noticed," Takatora said, and Kaito wondered just what expression had been on his face when he saw the business card. But the Kureshimas had to be used to it by now, he assumed.

"There always seems to be a birthday, wedding, child birth…and I despise buying cakes from stores. I’m sure you agree?"

Kaito nodded slightly. Cakes from convenience stores or grocery stores were nearly inedible, in his opinion, or so sweet he could feel cavities forming.

"It could be quite a lot of extra work for you, but I am willing to pay whatever price you name. Your pastries are the highest quality I have ever tasted, even better than the work of many French patisseries."

Kaito could feel his face flush, uncertain if it was from pride or embarrassment. He managed to bow slightly, murmuring “thank you”, to save himself from looking like an utter fool.

"You needn’t answer right away. You have my contact information. I can return at a later date with a list, to give you an idea of the work you would be doing. If you choose to accept, we can discuss a method of payment. Over dinner, perhaps?"

Kaito felt his mouth drop open, but he quickly snapped it shut again and nodded. “Stop acting like a lovesick teenager!” he scolded himself.

Takatora bowed slightly, then went over to Zack, who was manning the cash register, to pay his bill.

Peco sidled up next to Kaito, grinning. “Did he ask you out on a date, or did I hear something wrong?”

"It’s not a date. It’s a business meeting," Kaito quickly snapped, before turning on his heel and heading back into the kitchen.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kumon Kaito's life was much easier before a certain tall, dark, handsome stranger wandered into his bakery.

The sound of the shop's phone ringing startled Kaito as he rolled out a ball of pie crust, a small tear forming in the pale dough.

He grumbled to himself, setting the rolling pin aside, though he would have loved to use it to silence that infernal phone, which gave another shrill ring.

"Baron Bakery," Kaito snapped, cradling the receiver between his shoulder and cheek. He didn't feel TOO bad about sounding a tad rude; the shop wasn't due to open for another three hours. It was 7am, for goodness sake.

"Ah...I didn't take the hour into account," a smooth voice apologized, and Kaito nearly dropped the phone on the floor.

"Oh...er...Kureshima-san, was it?" Kaito stammered, instantly annoyed with how he sounded like a schoolgirl with a crush.

"Please, just Takatora is fine."

Kaito sat upon a nearby stool, knowing he wouldn't be able to multitask while taking this call.

"I apologize. I start my work day rather early and didn't consider the time. Would you like me to call sometime later?" Takatora asked.

"No, no, it's fine. The bakery doesn't open for several hours. I start my day early as well," Kaito said, the quickly silenced himself as he realized that he'd been on the verge of babbling.

"I'll get to the point so you can get back to your work. I was hoping to meet you for dinner tonight, to go over what we discussed the other day," Takatora explained. "And even if you have no interest in my proposal...well, it would be nice to get to know you a bit better."

Kaito felt his face flush, and was thankful that Peco wasn't around to be nosy. "I...work until 4:00."

"I can meet you whenever it's convenient. Do you like Italian food? There's a charming little bistro a few blocks from your shop."

Kaito thought to himself. Now his heart was pounding; good god, this feeling was annoying. "Italian sounds fine. Should I meet you there? I can arrive by 4:30."

"Perfect. I'll have a table waiting for us, Kaito-kun. I look forward to seeing you," Takatora stated, and Kaito could almost hear a smile in his words. Before he could embarrass himself with a reply, however, Takatora disconnected, leaving Kaito flustered and stating at the phone.


	4. Baron Bakery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kumon Kaito's life was much easier before a certain tall, dark, and handsome stranger wandered into his bakery.

As the hands on the kitchen clock edged ever closer to the bakery's closing time, Kaito felt himself starting to sweat. His stomach was flopping about like a fish on land, which irritated him to no end. He was merely meeting Takatora to discuss business. That was all.

At 3:45, Zack walked into the kitchen, looking almost surprised to see Kaito up to his elbows in soapy water, working on cleaning the attachments for his mixer. "Boss, don't you have a date after closing?"

"It is NOT a date. It's a business dinner," Kaito snapped.

"Sorry, sorry...but even so, I don't think it's a good reflection on us or yourself if you show up in your work clothes...and you've got flour in your hair again." When Kaito's hand self-consciously went toward his hair, Zack grinned. "Go on upstairs and change. Freshen up. Peco and I can handle closing."

With a slight flush on his cheeks, Kaito grumbled, "Thanks." He took his apron off, tossing it into the hamper for soiled linens for later washing, before heading up the staircase that led to his small apartment over the bakery itself. He quickly stripped and headed into the shower, taking a bit longer than usual, which only served to annoy him. "It's NOT a date," he growled, as if to remind--or convince--himself of the fact. But even so, he found himself taking extra care in styling his hair, and choosing an outfit that wasn't his usual work attire. "It's a nice restaurant, and a potential client," he said, finally deciding on a pair of crisp black pinstripe slacks and a deep gray button-down shirt.

Finally, at 4:10, he headed out, nearly forgetting to grab his coat in his haste. He did, however, manage to peer into the front of the bakery, seeing Peco cleaning tables while Zack counted the till. He was thankful that his staff was so dependable, even if he did give Peco a hard time over his carefree nature.

Kaito made it to the restaurant at 4:25, taking a deep breath of frigid air to steady his nerves, before pushing the door open.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kumon Kaito's life was much easier before a certain tall, dark, and handsome stranger wandered into his bakery.

The rich smells of garlic mingling with tomato sauce and fresh bread swept over Kaito the moment he stepped inside, and he took a moment to savor the aroma. The familiar smells of cooking always comforted him, ever since he was a child and observed his mother creating home-cooked delights, soon following in her footsteps once he was old enough to read a measuring cup and follow his mother's instructions.

A waiter stepped up to Kaito, a warm smile on his face. "Good afternoon, sir. Your party is waiting for you. If you'll follow me?"

Kaito nodded, dumstruck, casting a cautious gaze around the room. He didn't even see Takatora...how had he even known that he'd arrived? Hopefully this wasn't a mix-up.

His worried were laid to rest, however, when a table came into view, and Kaito saw Takatora with a serious look on his face as he studied the menu. As they approached, Takatora glanced up, and even though he did not smile, his eyes seemed to light up ever so slightly.

"Kumon-san, it's a pleasure," Takatora said, rising from his seat to pull out the chair across from him, gesturing for Kaito to sit.

Kaito felt his face warm up. "Is he for real?" he wondered to himself, before sitting down. "Then again, he's a businessman...this is the norm for him, I imagine." For some reason, the thought made Kaito almost sad, but he quickly pushed it away, not wanting to dwell on something foolish.

"I took the liberty of ordering for us. I hope you don't mind...but the fettucine porcini is to die for," Takatora explained, looking almost embarrassed for a moment.

"That's quite all right. It's actually one of my favorites, as well," Kaito admitted with a small smile.

The waiter reappeared to fill their wine glasses as Takatora took a manila folder from his briefcase. "Now then...I compiled the information on everyone in the company. Several departments would have multiple birthdays each months, obviously, so I believe doing one monthly party would be easiest. If kept just to each department, it shouldn't be too much extra work for you." Takatora glanced up, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "I hope you weren't worrying that I would ask you to make individual cakes. That would make it nearly impossible for you to run your business, and I can tell that you're a man who doesn't like to pass his duties off onto other people."

Before Kaito could reply, Takatora slid an envelope across the table. "Here is what I would be willing to pay you for your services."

Kaito opened the envelope, slipping out the enclosed paper and unfolding it, hoping that his eyes weren't about to pop out of his head. At least he knew that Yggdrasil would be able to pay the amount! Had it been any other company, he would have doubted that they could pay even half as much.

"Is it an acceptable sum?" Takatora asked.

"It's...more than generous, Kureshima-san," Kaito finally admitted, once he'd found his voice.

"Please, just Takatora is fine. I get enough of 'Kureshima-san' at the office."

Kaito couldn't help but smile; Takatora seemed so kind and fairly down to earth behind his business-savvy manner. He always assumed that someone as rich as one of the Kureshimas would be rude and full of themselves, but Takatora was proving him wrong on all counts.

Just then, the waiter returned, placing three heaping plates of deliciously fragrant pasta at each place.

"Wait a minute...three?" Kaito silently wondered.

Just then, the unoccupied chair that Kaito hadn't even noticed was drawn back, and a young man with a ponytail seated himself, directing a carefree grin at Takatora.

"Sorry that took so long, honey," the man drawled, and Kaito could feel his stomach clench into a knot.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kumon Kaito's life was much easier before a certain tall, dark, and handsome stranger wandered into his bakery.

A light flush colored Takatora's cheeks, and he glared at the young man who had  
just sat down. "Ryoma, knock it off. And don't call me that."

The other man, Ryoma, smirked. "Whatever you say, darling."

Kaito wasn't sure what bothered him more--the fact that Takatora was obviously  
dating this rude buffoon, or the fact that it was bothering him that Takatora  
WAS dating him. "Why should I care?" Kaito asked himself silently. "Just   
because he comes to the bakery frequently and wanted to have me take care of  
his company parties?" Barely able to keep from frowning, he picked up his wine   
glass, draining half of it in one go. 

Takatora sighed, an almost world-weary sound as he regarded his cohort. "This is  
exactly why I never take you along for any business meetings. Locking yourself  
up in that lab all day, you've forgotten how to interact with other people."

Ryoma, however, was too busy attacking his plate of pasta to hear Takatora's  
complaints.

"They probably have something in common," Kaito thought, sipping at his wine,  
his food still untouched. As he set the glass down, the ever-present waiter  
refilled it, which Kaito didn't notice. "But even working in the same place,  
why date someone like this? He seems to treat everything as a joke! He makes  
Peco look incredibly serious." Another longer sip of wine followed Kaito's   
thoughts, and he could feel the alcohol starting to work. Not that he cared;  
even if he drank a whole bottle's worth, he couldn't possibly act as childish  
and embarrassing as this Ryoma had. And what was he supposed to do about   
Takatora's proposal? He hadn't even agreed to it before everything had gone   
wrong. Now, though, his brain was whispering to him that he should politely  
decline, and beat a hasty retreat. If Takatora returned to the bakery, what of  
it? Kaito was exclusively in the kitchen; no one would bother him in there.

"It may be best to just leave now, go back home, and sleep. It'll be time to   
get up and make tomorrow's pastries before I know it," Kaito thought to himself,   
putting his hands on the table and beginning to stand.

Of course, not noticing how much wine he'd had during his silent musings, Kaito  
was surprised to find the room moving a bit, and he nearly fell back onto the   
chair he'd just vacated.

The sudden movement drew Takatora's attention, and the taller man looked almost  
concerned, if Kaito didn't know any better. "Kumon-san, are you all right?"

"Yeah...um...I'm fine. I just need a little air," Kaito replied, before turning   
and beginning to make his way toward the door. Or, at least, what he thought was  
the general direction of the door. Why wouldn't the room stay still? It was   
almost as it it WANTED him to be trapped in this hell with a guy he liked and  
obviously couldn't have, and the idiot who has ensnared him.

"Wait, where did THAT come from?" Kaito wondered to himself.

Just then, he felt a soft touch on his shoulder, and Takatora was at his side.  
"You look a bit flushed...are you feverish?" he asked, touching Kaito's forehead,  
which only made the brunette's face burn in embarrassment. "You do feel a bit   
warm," he added. Signaling their waiter over, he handed the man an expensive-  
looking gold credit card. "The gentleman at our table can be given the take-home  
boxes. And if he would like to order anything else that isn't alcohol, just add   
it to my bill."

The waiter nodded, scurrying off to run the card, then returned with it and a  
receipt for Takatora to sign, all while Kaito merely stood like a mortified,  
slightly drunk statue.

Once the bill was taken care of, Takatora steered Kaito outside. The sudden shock  
of cool night air woke the brunette up just a bit, but he still didn't think he  
would be able to take more than two steps if Takatora wasn't guiding him along.

"You had a bit too much wine, I think." Kaito glanced at Takatora in surprise,  
his eyes widening when he realized how close the other man was. "Probably Ryoma's  
doing, if I had to guess." Here, he chuckled. "He's a brilliant man, but...well,  
scientists aren't very adept at acting civilized when the need arises. I'm sorry  
he interrupted our meeting."

"It's all right. I mean, he must be ok if you're dating him, right?" Kaito finally  
managed to say.

Takatora blinked, frowning. "But we're not..." He trailed off, chuckling a moment  
later. "Ah, I forgot...all of that 'honey' and 'darling' nonsense. Ryoma is an  
odd duck. I think he just enjoys embarrassing me sometimes, or wants to see how  
far he can push me before I get upset. It's like a game to him, all in the name  
of collecting data on his fellow human beings." He shrugged. "He's a hard person  
to understand and a harder one to work with, believe me."

"So...you're not dating him?" Kaito asked, his alcohol sodden brain seemingly  
unable to grasp the information being given to him.

"Definitely not. He's about as far from my type as one could get," Takatora replied.

"What IS your type, then?" Kaito asked, well beyond the point of controlling the  
words that left his mouth.

A small smile crossed Takatora's lips; Kaito was fairly certain this was the first  
time he'd seen the man actually smile. And was it just him, or was Takatora   
closer than he was before?

"What if it's someone like you?" Takatora murmured. 

Yes, he was definitely closer now, Kaito realized, as the other man's warm breath  
caressed his cheek. 

"Well...that would be good," Kaito stammered. The part of his brain that was alcohol-free  
was groaning in embarrassment at saying something to utterly idiotic.

But when Takatora's lips brushed against his, then settled a bit more firmly for  
a kiss, Kaito was unable to think of a single thing, embarrassing or not, to say.


End file.
